2016 Fall Course Syllabus - Mathematics 1044.001
Course: Mathematics 1044.001.
Course Title: Introduction to Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences.
Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:30 -- 3:10.
Place: 406 Wachman Hall.
Instructor: Edward S. Letzter.
Instructor Office: 526 Wachman Hall.
Instructor Email: edward.letzter@temple.edu
Instructor Phone: 215.204.3973.
Course Web Page: https://math.temple.edu/~letzter/1044/
Office Hours: Tuesdays 3:30-5:00, Thursdays 10:30-12:00, or by appointment.
Prerequisites: For Fall 2016: Special Authorization.
Textbook: Mathematics for the Life Sciences: Calculus, Modeling, Probability, and Dynamical Systems, Glenn Ledder, Springer-Verlag.
Course Goals: Students successfully completing this course should be able to apply some of the basic concepts and techniques of probability and statistics to empirical modeling and data analysis in the life and environmental sciences.
Topics Covered: Elements of Calculus (sections 1.1, 1.8, 1.9 in text), Mathematical Models (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.7), Probability Distributions (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7), Statistical Inference (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4), Confidence Intervals (4.5), Conditional Probability (4.6, 4.7). As time permits.
Course Grading: Homework and Quizzes: 10%. Midterm 1: 28%. Midterm 2: 28%. Final Exam: 34%. Homework and Quizzes: 10%. Midterm 1: 28%. Midterm 2: 28%. Final Exam: 34%. Homework and Quizzes: 10%. Midterm 1: 28%. Midterm 2: 28%. Final Exam: 34%. Homework and Quizzes: 10%. Midterm 1: 28%. Midterm 2: 28%. Final Exam: 34%.
Exam Dates: Midterm 1: October 6, in class. Midterm 2: November 10, in class. Final Exam: December 20, 1:00 -- 3:00 pm.
Attendance Policy: Attendance is required and may play a role in determining grades in borderline cases.
Calculators: You will need a scientific calculator (not a graphing calculator) for this course. Note that in your graded work, unless instructed otherwise, you will be required to write down all of the mathematical steps necessary to arrive at your answers.
Statistical Software: For some of the applications and examples in this course we will use the statistical software package R, which can be freely and easily downloaded from the R Project for Statistical Computing. No programming experience is required for this course.
Electronic Devices: Use of mobile phones, texting, email, web browsing, or social media is not allowed in class unless you have been granted permission beforehand. Also, again unless you have obtained permission beforehand, the taking of photographs, videos, or audio recordings during class is not allowed. This policy is to help maintain an informal and particpatory classroom environment. Use of mobile phones, texting, email, web browsing, or social media is not allowed in class unless you have been granted permission beforehand. Also, again unless you have obtained permission beforehand, the taking of photographs, videos, or audio recordings during class is not allowed. This policy is to help maintain an informal and particpatory classroom environment. Use of mobile phones, texting, email, web browsing, or social media is not allowed in class unless you have been granted permission beforehand. Also, again unless you have obtained permission beforehand, the taking of photographs, videos, or audio recordings during class is not allowed. This policy is to help maintain an informal and particpatory classroom environment. Use of mobile phones, texting, email, web browsing, or social media is not allowed in class unless you have been granted permission beforehand. Also, again unless you have obtained permission beforehand, the taking of photographs, videos, or audio recordings during class is not allowed. This policy is to help maintain an informal and particpatory classroom environment.
Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. Contact Disability Resources and Services at (215) 204-1280, 100 Ritter Annex, to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed here.
Students will be charged for a course unless dropped by the Drop/Add deadline date. Check the University calendar for exact dates.
During the first two weeks of the fall or spring semester, students may withdraw from a course with no record of the class appearing on the transcript. In weeks three through nine of the fall or spring semester, or during weeks three and four of summer sessions, the student may withdraw with the advisor's permission. The course will be recorded on the transcript with the instructor's notation of "W," indicating that the student withdrew. After week nine of the fall or spring semester, or week four of summer sessions, students may not withdraw from courses. No student may withdraw from more than five courses during the duration of his/her studies to earn a bachelor's degree. A student may not withdraw from the same course more than once. Students who miss the final exam and do not make alternative arrangements before the grades are turned in will be graded F.
The grade I (an "incomplete") is reserved for extreme circumstances. It is necessary to have completed almost all of the course with a passing average and to file an incomplete contract specifying what is left for you to do. To be eligible for an I grade you need a good reason and you should have missed not more than 25% of the first nine weeks of classes. If approved by the Mathematics Department chair and the CST Dean's office, the incomplete contract must include a default grade that will be used in case the I grade is not resolved within 12 months.